The use of soybean oil in jet biofuel may be significantly improved after scientists with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Peoria, Illinois recently developed a procedure for improving soy’s interaction with petroleum.
The six-step procedure, patented in November, addresses the lack of ‘aromatic compounds’ in soybean oil, which keep jet engine seals working properly, an ARS press release said. The procedure replaces a metal called ruthenium with iridium, which increases soybean oil aromatics to compatible levels.
“We originally used soy oil because of its high quality, affordability and the refinery processes that exist,” Ken Doll, a research chemist with ARS said in the release. “It's also a commodity that we've historically worked with in Peoria. But any oil that has significant oleic acid levels would work."
Soybean oil was used in jet biofuels prior to the discovery, but in small quantities due to its interaction with petroleum, the release said. The new process may increase the amount scientists can blend into biofuel, resulting in reduced carbon emissions and increased energy efficiency. While consumption of fossil fuels adds new carbon to the atmosphere, plant-based products recycle atmospheric carbon.
The research supports a wider effort at the ARS center in Peoria to cultivate new uses for agricultural commodities and their waste byproducts, Doll said in the release. ARS can also continue developing the methods for processing them, similar to the process they used with soy. For example, the use of iridium “could be replaced or combined with an earth-abundant catalyst like iron to drive down the cost.”
Fatty compounds in soybean oil can further be developed into products typically made from petroleum such as fuel, ink and paints, the release said. Additional oilseed crops could also be utilized, including non-edible sources such as field pennycress.
